Next week, SpaceX is poised to undertake its most ambitious mission as it attempts the first-ever private spacewalk. This groundbreaking mission will feature cutting-edge equipment, including sleek spacesuits and a spacecraft designed without an airlock, marking a significant milestone for Elon Musk’s aerospace company.
The mission, called Polaris Dawn, will see a diverse crew comprising a billionaire entrepreneur, a former military fighter pilot, and two seasoned SpaceX engineers lift off on Tuesday in a specially adapted Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Two days into their journey, and at an altitude of 434 miles (700 km) from Earth, they will conduct a 20-minute spacewalk, a feat previously only achieved by government-backed astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
Spanning five days, Polaris Dawn is set to embark on an elliptical orbit that brings it as close as 190 km (118 miles) to Earth and as far as 1,400 km (870 miles) away.
This trajectory will take the crew further into space than any human has gone since the Apollo moon missions ended in 1972.
At the heart of the mission is billionaire Jared Isaacman, who funded the endeavour. His investment, rumoured to exceed $100 million, aims not just for exploration but also to test SpaceX’s new slender spacesuits and the modified Crew Dragon, which can expose its interior to the vacuum of space by opening its hatch, something never attempted before due to the absence of an airlock.
This mission is a testament to SpaceX’s innovation, pushing boundaries with ventures into much higher altitudes and exposing crew and equipment to heightened radiation levels unseen since the Apollo era.
This initiative comes with risks, especially as the crew and spacecraft will navigate through parts of the Van Allen radiation belt, posing potential hazards to electronics and human health.
NOT A NORMAL SPACEWALK
The scheduled spacewalk for the Polaris mission is set for the third day, with preparations kicking off approximately 45 hours prior.
The mission’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, notable for its gumdrop shape, will have its entire cabin depressurized to match the vacuum conditions of outer space. Among the crew, only two astronauts will perform the spacewalk, anchored by an oxygen line, while the entire team relies on their spacesuits for vital life support.
A preparatory procedure known as “pre-breathe” will be initiated days before the spacewalk, wherein the cabin is saturated with pure oxygen to eliminate any nitrogen from the environment.
Nitrogen in the bloodstream while in space can lead to the formation of bubbles that obstruct blood circulation, causing decompression sickness, or “the bends,” similar to the condition experienced by scuba divers who ascend too quickly.
The crew will employ an ultrasound device to monitor for any bubble formation, among other tools. These tools will support multiple scientific experiments to understand the impacts of space conditions, offering insights into how astronauts might cope on the lunar surface or in the depths of space.
Emmanuel Urquieta, the Vice Chair for Aerospace Medicine at the Internal Medicine Department of the University of Central Florida, highlighted the mission’s unique capacity for testing these spacecraft in such distinctive conditions.
Concerning astronaut safety, while NASA missions are subject to strict surveillance by the agency, private missions like Polaris do not fall under any specific U.S. safety standards or legislation for spaceflight.
During a press conference on Monday, SpaceX and the Polaris crew conveyed that they have devised plans for various potential emergencies that could arise during the mission, such as oxygen leakage or issues with resealing the hatch. However, the specifics of these plans were not disclosed.
Reisman expressed confidence in the Polaris crew’s preparedness for handling unforeseen complications, emphasizing the limited error margin.